REACH Network

The Resiliency through Azithromycin for Children (REACH) Network is a groundbreaking regional and international collaboration dedicated to significantly reducing child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

Rooted in the principles of the Abuja Declaration, REACH prioritizes national ownership, equitable access, sustainability, and rigorous monitoring to create a unified framework for addressing the pressing health challenges facing children in Africa. The country-led initiative brings together researchers, policymakers, and public health actors from across the continent, to improve child survival rates through evidence-based interventions.

A cornerstone of the REACH Network’s success is CVD-Mali’s role as Network Secretariat. Since 2022, CVD-Mali has provided essential regional coordination, ensuring continuity and trusted leadership for the Network’s operations.

Professor Samba Sow, Director-General of CVD-Mali, serves as Co-chair of the REACH Network, alongside Minister Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria.

Professor Sow’s key leadership and advocacy are vital to the Network’s mission, driving discussion and fostering collaborations that bring about tangible health gains for children across the region.

The REACH Network operates as an advisory body, with country-led programs retaining independent decision-making. CVD-Mali, as Network Secretariat, facilitates regular structured online and annual in-person meetings.

Participation is voluntary and inclusive of government representatives, health officials, implementing organizations, researchers, and technical experts. The recently established Advisory Panel on Azithromycin for Child Survival (APACS), a joint initiative with the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), provides independent expert advice on the safe, effective, and equitable allocation of donated azithromycin to reduce child mortality.

The core objectives of the REACH Network are:

• To foster effective partnerships between national health systems and researchers for informed health decision-making and policy adoption.
• To enable multi-country and multi-partner technical and operational cross-learning.
• To support and facilitate the safe, effective, and equitable distribution of azithromycin for reducing childhood mortality.
• To optimize REACH-related country research and public health gains, aligning with national priorities.
• To advance knowledge, skills, and the shared REACH vision in key technical areas through dedicated thematic working groups, including on antimicrobial resistance, health economics, and mortality surveillance.